9-Year-Old Boy Killed In Suspected Leopard Attack In Gujarat's Bhavnagar

A nine-year-old boy was killed in a suspected leopard attack in Gujarat's Bhavnagar district, marking the latest in a series of fatal wildlife encounters reported from the area in recent days.

The incident took place in Bambhaniya village of Mahuva taluka on Tuesday evening. The victim, identified as Nitya Gondaliya, had left his home at around 5:30 p.m. and was heading towards agricultural fields near Mobhiyana village when he was attacked by a wild animal.

According to a local police official, the attack is believed to have occurred at around 6.30 p.m. When the child did not return home, his family members and villagers began searching the surrounding agricultural fields and nearby forest areas.

"Villagers reported seeing two wild animals, including what appeared to be a leopard cub, during the search," the official told IANS.

However, officials have not yet confirmed whether the attack was carried out by a leopard or a lion. There are no CCTV cameras in the area to help establish the sequence of events.

After an extensive search, the child was found with severe injuries and was rushed for medical treatment. Doctors declared him dead on arrival.

The police official said the boy had suffered a torn left leg, multiple scratches across his body, injuries to his neck and elbow, and extensive head injuries, with part of the scalp torn away.

Forest department officials have launched an investigation and are examining footprints, photographs and other evidence to identify the animal responsible for the attack.

The boy's father, Prakash Gondaliya, said: "When I came home, my son was not there. After that, we searched the entire village. Then we went towards the forest and the farms to look for him. It was there that we found my son."

A relative of the family told IANS that this was the third such incident in the area in recent days.

"The boy's father found his body between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Tuesday after an intensive search. The animals seen in the area appeared to be wild leopards," he said.

The incident has left residents of Bambhaniya village in mourning and renewed concerns among local communities over repeated encounters between humans and wild animals in the region.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)